Chapter 94

In this quiet wait, a full hour quickly passed, and the rosy clouds above the Fire Beast Forest had almost dissipated, leaving only a faint trace behind. The crowd around gradually became restless.

"This time entering the Fire Beast Forest, I, Tang Chuan, must find the Black Fire Lotus. When that happens, I will surely soar to the sky."

"Haha, I, Fang Chan, will also take a few Black Fire Lotus out and sell them for a high price, so I won't have to worry about the rest of my life."

"Whether I am a dragon or a worm will be decided today."

As figures flew out and rushed into the Fire Beast Forest, the martial artists behind them also surged in like locusts, even the Body Transformation Realm martial artists could not hold back and quickly rushed in.

Hu Gao, guided by Xiao Wu's perception, was not in a hurry. He waited until everyone had entered before he led the two freeloaders and began searching for the Black Fire Lotus in the Fire Beast Forest.

Actually, Hu Gao did not place much importance on the Black Fire Lotus. In his spatial ring, he still had quite a few Black Fire Lotus, which Xiao Wu found not very pure in fire energy and planned to keep for future needs or sell for money.

Unfortunately, after searching for half a day, the three of them did not find any truly valuable treasures, not even a single Black Fire Lotus. So Hu Gao decisively chose to delve deeper, heading straight for the Fire Torch Peak.

This deeper exploration did not last too long. Few martial artists could catch up with the three of them, and Hu Gao finally found a few Black Fire Lotus, which were evenly divided among the three.

"Brother Hu Gao, it's still half a day's journey to Fire Torch Peak, right?" Yun Feng, wielding two swords, killed an inconsiderate fire beast and then looked up to estimate the distance, asking.

"Indeed, we are almost there."

Hu Gao nodded. The closer they got to Fire Torch Peak, the higher the chance of encountering a Fire Beast King. They had to be more careful, as even the weakest Fire Beast King was not comparable to a first-stage Body Transformation Realm martial artist, and a slightly stronger one could take their lives.

However, opportunities always come with danger. Only at the foot of Fire Torch Peak could they find true treasures.

The three became even more cautious. Hu Gao did not mind, as with Xiao Wu's perception, he did not need to be overly cautious all the time, which would be too tiring.

"Boss, there seems to be quite a few Black Fire Lotus by the lake ahead," Xiao Wu's voice sounded in his mind.

"Black Fire Lotus? Quite a few?"

Hu Gao's eyes immediately lit up.

Yun Feng and Han Chong also became interested. Every time Hu Gao's eyes lit up, they could immediately find Black Fire Lotus. Now, with Hu Gao's eyes so bright, it was like he had seen a naked beauty, and the treasure would likely be even more valuable.

"Let's go, I'll take you to find some good stuff."

Hu Gao immediately headed toward the coordinates provided by Xiao Wu. Yun Feng and Han Chong were slightly stunned but quickly followed.

Soon, the three arrived at the bank of a river about thirty meters wide. The river was steaming, like a mist, but Hu Gao and the others did not stop to admire it. Instead, they focused on a small pond not far away.

The liquid in the pond was a deep golden color, similar to what Hu Gao had seen in the Fire Salamander's cave, emitting a terrifying heat, like lava.

Many fire-attribute plants grew in the pond, but the three still saw dozens of Black Fire Lotus, and even a few Black Fire Lotus with Black Fire Lotus heads.

"Finally, I understand why Brother Hu Gao's eyes lit up. He found so many Black Fire Lotus heads."

"This deep golden liquid is Red Magma!"

Yun Feng and Han Chong finally understood, looking at Hu Gao with even more shock, wondering how he had discovered so many Black Fire Lotus heads.

"Alright, stop staring. Quickly pick the Black Fire Lotus and Black Fire Lotus heads. We need to leave as soon as possible. Many people are heading this way, and it would be bad if we were discovered." Hu Gao waved his hand and was about to walk toward the magma pool.

However, at this moment, Xiao Wu's voice sounded again, "Boss, wait! There is a powerful fire-attribute creature in the pool, it seems to be a... Fire Beast King?!"

"Fire Beast King?"

Hu Gao was startled and stopped.

"What's wrong?" Yun Feng and Han Chong, seeing him stop, did not dare to act rashly.

"Fire Beast King, in the pool!" Hu Gao whispered.

Hearing that there was a Fire Beast King in the magma pool, Yun Feng and Han Chong's pupils contracted, revealing a dangerous light. They were about to burst with powerful aura, a completely instinctive reaction. They exchanged glances, swallowed, and immediately suppressed their aura.

Compared to Hu Gao, a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means "a person who has traveled through time or space, often in a fictional setting") who started from scratch, the two geniuses supported by their families knew much more about the Fire Valley.

Fire Beasts seemed similar to ordinary beasts, only skilled in fire-attribute attacks, but because their bodies were rich in fire-attribute energy, any other force entering their bodies would be quickly burned by the fire-attribute energy.

Of course, skills like the Blood Light skill, which Hu Gao mastered and did not fall into the category of attribute-based attacks, could still have an effect.

Previously, Hu Gao had tried to use the Blood Light skill on a relatively powerful Fire Beast, which did not get instantly killed but only fainted.

As for the Fire Beast King, in addition to a higher rank and thicker fire-attribute energy, it also had the ability to mutate, supporting a Fire Beast to become a Fire Beast King.

"I wonder what kind of mutation this Fire Beast King has." Han Chong was somewhat worried.

"Mutation?" Hu Gao thought of the Fire Salamander.

"Using a large amount of Black Fire Lotus seeds brings an energy surge that can trigger a Fire Beast to mutate and gain new abilities. The Fire Beast King can be said to come from this." Yun Feng explained, "It's not easy to deal with!"

So, did the Fire Salamander really mutate? Hu Gao was troubled, recalling the purple fireball that could counter the Fire Dragon Technique.

"Xiao Wu, what is the strength of this Fire Beast King?" Hu Gao had to ask Xiao Wu again for help.

"Boss, I'm not entirely sure about the specific strength of this Fire Beast King. It is immersed in the red liquid, and I can sense it only because we are too close. If we were a bit farther, I might not be able to sense its existence at all..."

Xiao Wu was quite helpless. In the Fire Beast Forest, his perception was restricted everywhere, blocked by various things or influenced by others. On their journey, Xiao Wu always provided the route he could fully sense to avoid any unexpected events.

Seeing the worry on Hu Gao's face, Xiao Wu continued, "Don't worry too much, Boss. This Fire Beast King has probably sensed our arrival and even knows our goal is the Black Fire Lotus and Black Fire Lotus heads, but it has not shown any hostility. I think as long as we don't overly disturb it, it won't attack us."

"Will it not attack us?"

Hu Gao nodded silently but still prepared for any eventuality. If this Fire Beast King suddenly appeared, he would immediately use the Blood Light skill to drive it back.

"Brother Hu Gao?" Yun Feng and Han Chong, seeing Hu Gao not responding for a long time and just staring at the magma pool, were unsure of his plan.

"Um, the Fire Beast King is sleeping. If I'm not mistaken, as long as we don't disturb it, it should be fine."

Hu Gao responded and then said calmly.

"Isn't that too dangerous?" The two were worried, seeing Hu Gao's eagerness.

Previously, the two had killed ordinary Fire Beasts, although they succeeded, they had also experienced the power of Fire Beasts, which was extraordinary. A slightly stronger Fire Beast could already contend with a Body Transformation Realm martial artist. If a Fire Beast King appeared, they had little confidence in killing it.

Even if they did, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, not worth the cost.

"No problem, even a mid-stage second-rank beast, I have confidence in escaping unscathed."

Hu Gao patted their shoulders and smiled. He was not too worried because he had many trump cards and his own strength was not weak. Yun Feng and Han Chong, working together, might not be able to kill the Fire Beast King, but with him, they could do it without using trump cards. Then, those Black Fire Lotus heads would all be theirs.

With so many Black Fire Lotus heads in the magma pool, it was worth risking the Wind and Thunder Pearl and all the fire poison bombs.

Hu Gao walked straight to the small pond. Under the terrifying heat of the Red Magma, he had to use his energy to protect himself.

"Xiao Wu, are you sure the Fire Beast King is sleeping?" Looking at the Black Fire Lotus and Black Fire Lotus heads growing on the surface of the pond, Hu Gao extended his hand but did not immediately pick them.

He said he was not afraid of the Fire Beast King, but he was still somewhat wary.

Come on, that's a Fire Beast King. If it suddenly appeared, how dangerous would it be? Hu Gao really did not want such a heart-stopping event to happen.

"Boss, the Fire Beast King is indeed sleeping now."

Hearing Xiao Wu's answer, Hu Gao subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, but just as he was about to reach out, Xiao Wu added, "However, it's just a light sleep, not a deep sleep..."

"Light sleep? What does that mean?"

Hu Gao's mouth twitched, subconsciously feeling a bad omen and wanting to leave. Seeing his expression, Yun Feng and Han Chong wisely stood back and did not move forward.

"Ahem... Light sleep means half awake, half asleep. Although it is sleeping, it is fully aware of the outside situation. If someone deliberately disturbs it, it will definitely leap up in anger and give the enemy a powerful blow."

Hu Gao nodded helplessly, realizing he still had to be very cautious. Otherwise, before he could pick the Black Fire Lotus, he might disturb the Fire Beast King and cause trouble.

"You two just stand by and watch. More people might disturb the Fire Beast King. I'll go alone... Hey, don't back away, just stand there and be ready to fight. I can't handle it alone; you two are the main force."

Hu Gao was a bit worried that they would be unhappy if he went alone to pick the Black Fire Lotus, but he did not expect them to back away so quickly without any hesitation. He immediately understood and gave them a disdainful look.

"Fire Beast King, just keep sleeping. I'll try not to disturb you. If you really want to come out and fight to the death, we'll have to team up to kill you and then roast and eat the Fire Beast meat."

Hu Gao looked at the Red Magma pool. He did not want to disturb the Fire Beast King because it would bring him no benefit.

Taking a few steps forward, Hu Gao suddenly stopped, as if suddenly realizing something, and shouted, "Oh no!"